Life Tips from an Old Guy

Changing my Tune on Millennials

For a while there I was like many Gen Xers who piled on “those lazy Millennials.” But the more I observe them, I find myself changing my opinion of them. First it was the generalization that Millennials are shunning the old notions of big-ticket property ownership. You know, cars and houses. As I murmured “phthth” under my breath, a part of me started wavering in my thinking.

Now, if you would believe the story from CBS News and LinkedIn—Why More Millennials Are Quitting Lucrative Jobs to Travel—Millennials are already quitting their jobs to travel. My old thinking would mock these young people as being immature and outright irresponsible. But the newer me is starting to think that these kids know exactly what they are doing.

They grew up witnessing Baby Boomers and Gen Xers endure the drudgery of jobs and careers they aren’t passionate about, with no way out thanks to their slavery to mortgages and other debt. It looks like some Millennials want no part of that. I say Kudos to them! We each live but once, so why would we willingly become a slave for 40 years?

Check out the story from CBS and LinkedIn and, if your opinion about Millennials is not optimistic, maybe you will start changing your tune.